Nervous In New York
by kkangpaequeen
Summary: An Americanized version of the Durarara! anime.


_Hey there! _

_Woah, first story. Wow. _

_I wrote this for English class last year (I kinda regret choosing such an old one...). It received some great reviews there. Even I, for once, was pretty fond of it. Looking back it could use some work._

_ I apologize for the multitude of loose ends and the fact that I'm way to lazy too divide it into chapters. Also, the story kind of goes everywhere. Not really in the good way._

_ I hope you can figure out which characters are which :)_

_Please enjoy!_

_PS: I'm a big fan of feedback, positive or negative so please review~_

* * *

Stephen Young's ears had quit ringing. He was free of his pestilent stalker. Free of that girl. Now he could focus on his true love. The girl with the beautiful eyes. He would peruse her until the day his heart quit beating.

He stood from the bed, kicking the girl's corpse at his feet. He shuffled over to the desk in the corner of his room, slid his cell phone off it with a scratch, and dialed his sister's number.

It rang.

"What is it, Stephen?" Her melodic voice answered cheerily.

"Something happened."

"What happened?"

"The girl."

There was silence for a moment.

"I'm in the middle of something but I'll call someone in to take care of it." She sighed.

All Norah knew was there was probably blood. A lot of blood. This girl didn't necessarily have to die, but no matter what, it was never her brother's fault. No matter what.

The harsh metallic noise of the subway train's brakes rang out through the crowd. Matthew King looked up from the platform, only slightly startled at being snapped out of his somber daydream. The mumble of the people around him flooded his ears next. He extended his neck to search for his friend.

And there he was.

Michael Roberts. He was staring at those around him like a lost puppy. He hadn't changed a bit, Matthew thought with a smile. The two noticed each other. Michael's expression changed to relief at his old friend's sight. He still had dark blue eyes and hair black as night, Matthew noticed as Michael approached. Just the same as when the boys were in elementary school together. That felt like so long ago to the fourteen-year-olds.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Matthew said enthusiastically as soon as he was within earshot of Michael. "Good to see you too." The boy replied shyly. "Jeez, you really are the same." Matthew said. Michael looked confused. "You're just the same old Michael Roberts I remember, that's all." Matthew grinned playfully and patted his friend on the back. He readjusted his backpack, nervously smiling as well. "So, you excited to have me show you the lay of the land around here?" Matthew asked as they trailed each other up the stairs. Michael took each step cautiously. He was nearly claustrophobic amongst the city-dwellers shoving past him with confidence. He felt like he had lost his authority somewhere along the way here. Not that he had much in the first place.

The duo emerged into the surface of the city. Immediately, the sights and sounds filled Michael's senses. He used to visit New York, but he barely remembered actually being here. Matthew and Michael did attend elementary school out in Albany and Matthew moved to New York City after fourth grade. The two had always been close. Now, as he was half caught in awe and half wanting to catch up with Matthew, Michael couldn't help but notice his friend seemed different. When he has seen him on the platform he was looking down, probably deep in thought about someone or something upsetting. He decided it didn't matter.

Matthew was speaking a mile a minute, walking rather leisurely along the streets of his beloved city. Michael attempted to interject or comment on his friend's lecture but without luck. Finally, Matthew swiveled and stood right in front of Michael stopping him in his tracks.

"What I'm about to tell you is important so listen up." He began to a shocked Michael. "There are three people you need to avoid in this city. One," Matthew held up a finger for each person. "Isaiah Orson. Two, Shawn Heartman. Three, Salvatore Belkano. Believe me," His tone became serious. "If you want to make it out of here alive, you won't get involved with them. Got it?" Michael nodded quickly. The two continued walking ahead. "Good." Matthew said, smiling.

Michael couldn't help but wonder who these men were and why they were so dangerous. He figured that he would hopefully never have the misfortune of finding out.

Shawn Heartman stubbed out his cigarette as darkness crept up over the horizon. The sky was ablaze in orange and red and yellow with the sunset, slowly dying and fading away. Shawn turned from the doorway and went back inside.

It was his brother Kendall's apartment tonight, he thought. Lately, it had been nice to be with his brother but the truth was, he couldn't stand his brother's awful kitten, Yuna. Sure she was cute, but she would sit on the couch, boring holes into your soul with its big blue eyes. And whenever Kendall would pick her up, she would mew to no end.

Then again, maybe it wasn't the kitten. Maybe Shawn just wanted to be home for once. His brother's lifestyle was far fancier than his and perhaps he was meant to be in his old run-down place across town than this high-end penthouse.

These accommodations obviously had its benefits but Shawn felt out of place. He shrugged as he ascended up to the apartment.

He knocked on the door, hoping Kendall would open it. After it dawned on him that he was out, he fumbled for the key underneath the welcome mat in front of the door. With a sigh he unlocked it and pushed his way in.

The spacious black tile entry hallway stretched out before him along with the quiet resignation of a day of work seeming to slink on ahead of him. Slowly walking in, the whole apartment felt dead. Cold draftiness, black elegantly modern furniture, and the silence made Shawn nearly feel the lifelessness. Suddenly, stopping him was a sound.

He looked frantically around, no longer drowsy. "Hello?" His deep voice nearly echoed. After a minute of stillness, he continued through the living room over to the kitchen without another thought about the disturbance. Perhaps it was that dreadful cat, he assumed to assure himself a little more confidently.

Then the sound came again. And again. And again. Shawn's already ephemeral temper grew even shorter with each repetition. He angrily figured the scratching noise was behind the doors of Kendall's office. He flung them open. The empty desk (Kendall barely ever even came in this room because he was always on a movie or TV set and never necessarily did paperwork) stared back at him along with the back of the silvery office chair behind it. The chair swiveled slowly, ominously.

There, greeting him with a signature smirk, Isaiah Orson sat.

"So glad you decided to show up, Shawny."

Beginning her freshman year at Raymond Academy should have been far more exciting for Annie Saunders than it felt now, making her way through the droves of her fellow students. Annie had always been the quiet one and this year she couldn't possibly be more alone. What with Mikayla being gone and all…

She quickly decided it was better not to dwell on the memory of her old friend. This was a new year and a new Annie. Perhaps she would even go out for student council. With a shake of her head she made the thoughts disappear. She couldn't stand at the front of the classroom without completely embarrassing herself.

Annie looked up from the ground and out of her reverie. And then she ran right into three girls.

These weren't just any girls. These were the girls at this school notorious for chewing up weaklings like Annie and spitting them out like the girls were makeup and perfume covered dragons. A gasp of shock was choking Annie. She bowed her head, clutched her books in front of her chest, and plead her apologies under her breath. The girls scoffed at her in a striking unison. Annie pushed past them almost as fast as she could. Today was not the day to tango with the serpents.

She entered the school, wind whipping at her short black bobbed hair as the doors closed behind her. How humiliating, she thought, but at least she got away in time. Would they come back to prey on her later? She couldn't let them take away her happiness, even though she still felt like she was missing something. Or, rather, someone.

Mikayla Hampton was Annie's best friend through middle school. The two were attached at the hip even though they couldn't be more polar opposite of each other. Mika- as Annie would call her- was a bubbly, lively girl with a confidence no one could match, and Annie, on the other hand, was far from bold. However, Annie had always been happy when Mika was around. Only months before school began she sent out a text to her family and Annie saying she had gone to Maine for some alone time. Annie knew what Mika was up to (to an extent).

Mika was obsessive over a boy. But this was no ordinary adolescent crush. Mika was devoted to him, doing whatever it took to be near him. From what she sent Annie, she figured that Mika had gone to Maine to chase after him.

It was a simple explanation to a complicated problem.

Nevertheless, it was time to get over it even if the memories would never leave her. Annie eventually found her locker on the third floor. It was directly across the hall from a stairwell, convenient for getting to classes. Students around her were starting to head to the respective classrooms. Annie's advisory was on the second floor. A look to the clock made her lose faith that she would make it in time. She twisted the lock, struggling for her combination. She finally got it. She pulled books out of the navy blue locker and rushed down the stairs, shoes clicking after her speedily.

As soon as the bell sounded she was sliding into her seat in the front row of the tidy classroom. The silver-haired teacher just eyed her strangely as he continued calling names off an attendance list.

"Palmer."

"Here."

"Petersen."

"Here."

"Roberts."

No one spoke up.

Annie glanced over her shoulder. A boy sat at the back of the class in the far left row. An empty desk sat behind him. He was staring out the window, obviously not paying attention.

"Roberts? Michael Roberts?"

The boy looked up with his deep blue eyes naively, making eye contact with Annie. "Uh, here." He said, lowering his head into his hand resting on the edge of the desktop. Hoping not to be noticed, he turned his head and resumed looking outside, a red tint appearing on his cheeks subtly. Annie blinked.

The empty desk was Mika's. The boy seemed so familiar. What did this all mean? Annie thought. She looked back towards the front of the room.

"Samsen."

"Present."

"Saunders."

"Here." Annie said quickly.

"Schmidt."

"Here."

"Uhm…Young."

The room went quiet again. This time Annie didn't bother seeking out the absentee.

"Stephen Young?"

Abruptly, the door opened and a tall boy with spiky, subdued brown hair and eyes about the same color walked in. He was wearing the Raymond uniform, had a bag slung over his shoulder, but an expression that assumed an air of determination or defiance. "I'm here." He said. Annie's eyes grew wide.

"But I'm never going to be here again. For the rest of the year."

The teacher looked shocked and so did the rest of the class. "Uhh…okay." The advisor muttered. Stephen left, closing the door behind him with finality.

Annie waited for the bell to ring for the next hour so she could follow him. The teacher's droning made her anxious to the point that she almost stood up and left.

Finally she was saved by the bell. She gathered her books and left the room on a mission. If Annie could catch Stephen before he left the campus, she would be able to confront him.

Today, Annie was lucky. Stephen was nearly at the school's gate. She ran after him, shuffling to his side and matching his pace as she met him. He glared over at her.

"Where's Mikayla?" Annie asked, slightly out of breath. Stephen waited a moment before responding, keeping his sternness intact. "I don't know." He dismissed. Annie sighed. "Please! I know you know where she went."

Stephen stopped. He grabbed Annie by the arm and drug her into an alleyway. "Listen, I can't tell you where your little friend went." He whispered harshly. Annie gave him a skeptical leer.

"Wait, where do you think she went?" Stephen asked, his tone changed.

"M-Maine to find you." Annie stuttered.

Stephen seemed to inwardly consider this. "Well, I have no idea where she is. Sorry, kid."

Stephen walked out of the alley and into the sunny sidewalk, hanging a right, the opposite direction of Raymond. Annie looked down at her shiny black shoes until she could fight the tears and win. Why would Mika lie? Where was she actually?

Annie trudged back to the school, swimming in sea of confusion.

Shawn's teeth gritted as he fought the urge to jump across the desk and strangle the informant right then and there.

"What are you doing here? What are you even doing in the city?!" He yelled. Isaiah grinned. "Oh, Shawny," He cooed. "I have clients to meet with. You should remember that I hate to keep people waiting on me."

Shawn tensed at the sound of his mortal enemy's words.

"Like your job is respectable." He scoffed gruffly.

Isaiah's eyebrows raised in mock astonishment. "What you're doing is legitimate? Being Taro's little debt collector? You beat people up for money and Taro doesn't give you a dime of it."

What he had said was true. A few years before, Shawn had been employed as a bartender, which, like many jobs he had held, did not last long. Soon, he was unemployed, roaming about the city with his brother and what few friends he had. That's when a Japanese 'businessman' by the name of Taro Tanaka found him. He offered him a job as an enforcer of sorts. Taro was most likely a member of the Yakuza, collecting money from those who owed the gang. If they didn't pay up, that's when Shawn would intimidate them or beat them senseless. In all honesty, Shawn saw it as a way to keep himself out of trouble (in a contradictory way.)

"My job has nothing on your job, Orson. You're sick if you think what I do is even remotely as horrible." Shawn seethed. Isaiah's face was placid as he processed this and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I help people. I help them by…showing them the silver lining to life." Isaiah smiled at that. "Listen, Shawny, I just came by to say hello. Didn't mean to get you all riled up. If you miss me after I leave, which you will, just remember the good old days at Raymond." He continued, standing. Shawn's fists clenched at his sides. "Speaking of which, I should really visit our friends Samuel and Kevin…Anyways, I'll show myself out." Isaiah finished as he slid past Shawn, who's mouth was agape in protest, and out through the apartment.

Shawn waited for the door to slam shut and when it did he suppressed a scream.

Isaiah Orson was back in New York, he thought, he's back to wreak more havoc. He tried to comb through what had just happened to make sense of it, but the confusion wouldn't override Shawn's rage towards the info broker. Now he was gone. Shawn knew better than to think he'd actually leave the city after that, though. Perhaps he needed some provocation? Shawn made note to take care of him in those terms later. He had more important things to fix now. He had to stop Isaiah from meeting with his 'clients'.

Isaiah Orson was a truly heartless man. Who knew what he would do this time?

Yuri Harlow. Television host, movie star, 20-something heartthrob. A man living a double life.

He was born Kendall Heartman, but adopted the alias after his manager figured he needed to sound 'unique'. Being the passive, quiet one he was away from the camera, Kendall didn't object.

He was the only thing Kassie and Mollie Orson could think about as the twins strode through the night streets of New York City. They didn't mind that their brother lived in a shady part of the city and that, as young girls alone at night, they were vulnerable to anyone who decided to prey on them. They just walked hand in hand towards Isaiah's apartment.

Mollie was the louder, more energetic of the pair. She was always curious and always, but usually unintentionally, annoying. Kassie was basically her polar opposite. She was very shy and subdued. Beside their obvious physical resemblance (long black hair and russet eyes), they were nothing alike.

Their brother would say they were like this because of him.

When they were younger he had them convinced they were copies of each other. That they couldn't escape that fact. Mollie immediately found herself with the need to change herself. She knew she was born an original, she would never be a copy.

It was things like these that made Isaiah Orson so sinister; he manipulated and controlled the psychology of those around him for his own entertainment.

As the twins strode in silence, Kassie flipped out her cell phone. Scanning a new text, she couldn't help but gasp.

"Mollie," She murmured. "Yuri's in the city for that new reality show." Though she was soft spoken her sister sensed the excitement in her words.

Mollie's eyes got wide as she stopped in her tracks. "Oh my gosh! We should ask Isaiah if he knows him! Doesn't he have a buddy from high school who knows him? I wonder if he's as hot in real life as he is on TV and in the movies! I totally bet he is..." She said barely breathing by the time she was finished.

The twins walked on in bliss with smiles on their faces.

They ran up the stairs at Isaiah's apartment, racing each other with Mollie in the lead, all the way to his door.

Kassie knocked coyly. They waited a moment and their tall older brother opened the door.

He grinned. "Hello, girls." He greeted.

"Hi, big brother!" Mollie squealed as she clutched to his side. Kassie slowly did so on his other side, smiling.

"Come in, come in." Isaiah pushed the girls on the forehead so they would let go and shoved them in the shadowy entryway. Mollie removed her coat in perfect synchronization with Kassie as they followed Isaiah into the main room.

On his long leather couch in the middle of the living room area sat two girls who couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen years old. One had an apathetic look while the other was nearly unreadable, but each shared the same sad aura.

Isaiah urged his sisters into the guest bedroom. "You'll have to keep yourselves busy in here while I work, 'kay?" They nodded in response. Deep down, curiosity ate away at Mollie. Who were those girls and why were they in Isaiah's living room? How were they involved in his work? She wanted to know it all.

Isaiah patted them each on the head, turned, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Kassie shuffled over to the bed in the center of the little room and fell onto it.

Mollie stood close to the door, staring at it. "I'll be back." She said quickly as she slid out to the hall. She stepped silently up the metal staircase to her right and viewed nearly the whole apartment from the balcony, kneeling and looking through the horizontal bars. To her back was a large black bookcase filled with volumes and volumes of different books. Mollie focused on the conversation going on between her brother and the two girls in the room below.

Isaiah handed them glasses of what looked like soda as he sat down in a chair across from them. "Let's have a toast. To the end." He raised his glass out in offering. The girls lifted theirs and promptly pulled away to take a swig of the cola.

What did he mean 'the end'? Mollie thought.

Isaiah sighed. "So, why are you here?" He asked.

One of the girls brushed her blonde bangs away from her dark eyes and cleared her throat. "My life is going nowhere. My parents pacify me with money when all I need is to simply talk to them. I feel like they don't care. So if I disappeared, with you, Nick, maybe they'd realize I did matter. Or at least I should've mattered more…" She explained, only looking up when she referred to Isaiah as Nick.

Mollie attempted to piece it together but it was no use at the moment. She leaned closer to balcony bars to listen better.

"And you, my sweet?" Isaiah asked the other girl with a dark, almost sarcastic, charm. She set her drink on the glass table. "Well, my boyfriend dumped me. I know that shouldn't be the end of the world for me, but we had something special." She paused and looked down. "And he's in a gang and probably in serious trouble with the cops. I guess now I don't really see why I want to die. I just wish I still had him and he was safe."

Isaiah considered both stories for a moment.

"Do you girls believe in an afterlife?" He asked sitting slightly forward with his hands clasped on front of him. The two looked at him strangely.

"Just wondering since, theoretically, you will be going there soon…So will I, of course."

Maybe they sensed a falseness behind Isaiah's (or 'Nick's') words or maybe they were stupid, but the girls reluctantly answered.

"I was raised to believe in heaven and hell so I suppose you could say I believe in that." The blonde one admitted. The other took a moment before she said anything. "I don't really think there is much of an afterlife." She stated.

Isaiah pointed a ringed finger at her. "Exactly, Sara." He praised excitedly.

Sara tilted her head in confusion. "You, Juliet," Isaiah pointed at the blonde now ", were wrong. But I guess Sara's idea has a flaw or two, as well."

Juliet looked at Sara, her eyes frightened. Sara just looked down at her hands in her lap.

"What do you mean?" Juliet asked Isaiah glaring at him now. He chuckled to himself. "Sara was right that there is nothing after this life. But at the same time there has to be something. A feeling of nothing is something, no?"

Mollie gasped and extended her legs to stand in a swift motion. She didn't dare have them see or hear her. She bent over the railing intently.

"I guess so, but-" Juliet began, but was interrupted by Isaiah. "The 'afterlife' is nothing. You are nothing and you feel nothing." He explained.

"You're going to die," Isaiah looked at his watch ", in about three hours."

Sara's head shot up and Juliet's expression was even more shocked and scared than before. "W-what do you mean we're going to die?!" Juliet asked frantically. On the balcony, Mollie had to cover her mouth to keep from verbalizing her emotions.

Isaiah nodded confidently then gestured to the two glasses on the table. "Poison." He said straightforwardly. Juliet jumped up from the couch. "What about you?! Didn't you drink it too?" She shouted at Isaiah. "Nope. Didn't you notice? I thought you were smarter than that…" He told her without faltering.

"Why? _Why would someone do something so sick_?" Juliet sneered angrily. Isaiah shrugged. "Why do you care anyways? You're about to die. Isn't that what you wanted? This is a suicide meeting isn't it?" He said coolly.

Juliet stepped back. She sat slowly. She looked straight ahead into space. "So, you lied to us? Is this how you spend your pathetic life, Nick? Luring girls like us in and killing them?" Sara questioned.

Isaiah shook his head. "No, no, dear. I'm helping you. Believe me…" He said in a surprisingly comforting tone. At this, Sara frowned in disgust and disappointment.

"You girls don't know a thing about death and the fragility of life. Let this be a teaching opportunity." Isaiah whispered now. Juliet's eyes narrowed. "I'm leaving." She announced with sternness as she stood, grabbed her purse next to the couch, and left the apartment. Sara's gaze followed her the whole time.

When the door shut, she looked back to Isaiah. She felt the room begin spinning. Was it the poison or was it the fear at what had just unfolded in front of her? Was she really going to die?

"Don't worry. The police can do little for you." Isaiah told her. She bit her lip out of nervousness. She should leave, Mollie thought, mentally urging her and wanting to scream out at what she'd just seen. Yet at the same time she was amused by it all.

Finally, Sara stood. As she passed him, Isaiah gripped her by the forearm. "Watch out out there. Never know who you might run into." He said through clenched teeth. Sara wrenched her arm out of his hand and ran out of the place. Isaiah looked up to where Mollie stood. "How much of that did you see?" He asked. "Most of it." She replied, still dazed and startled. Isaiah exhaled, standing. "Alright. Back to your room. I'll be in to put you to bed in a little bit or whatever." He told her passively as he cleared the glasses from the table and walked into the kitchen. Mollie wanted to mumble that Kassie and she were thirteen and didn't need him putting them to bed.

She skipped down the steps to follow her brother. "Are those girls really going to die?" She asked at the bottom. Isaiah stepped into the doorway. "No, they'll just get really sick." He said as if it were obvious. Mollie nodded. "Mmmmkay….Nighty night, Isaiah." She smiled and went back to her bedroom through the black hall. Isaiah watched her go.

There was never much guilt behind what he did, what he had just done. It was the typical response from those girls that he always got; anger, confusion, shock.

"Humans, they never change, do they?" He said to himself.

No, guilt was not a factor. Sara and Juliet now knew more about themselves. They didn't want to die, and they weren't going to consider suicide, especially with a stranger, ever again.

Just as Isaiah had planned.


End file.
